The Portuguese Interventional Cardiology Registry from 1992 to 2003

The aim of the present paper was to report trends in Portuguese interventional cardiology from 1992 to 2003 and to compare these data with other European countries.

Based on questionnaires distributed to and completed by Portuguese interventional cardiology centers we give an overview of the development of coronary interventions since 1992, when data were first collected. In 2003, 24,834 diagnostic catheterization procedures were performed, representing an increase of 315% in comparison to 1992. In 2003 the population-adjusted rate was 2483 coronary angiograms per million population. Coronary interventions increased by 1193% in comparison to 1992, with a total of 8465 procedures and a rate of coronary interventions of 848 per million population in 2003. Coronary stents were the most frequently used devices, with an increase from 53% in 1996 to 89% in 2003. The present rate of stent implantation in Portugal is similar to that in Europe and Spain, but the rate of use of drug-eluting stents in Portugal is one of the highest in Europe (55%). In 2003, multivessel percutaneous coronary interventions were performed in 24% of cases, with no significant increase during the last 10 years, and ad hoc interventions were performed in the course of diagnostic coronary angiography in 73 % of patients; glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors were used in 30% of procedures; percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with acute myocardial infarction accounted for 16% of all procedures; of the noncoronary interventions recorded, 49 percutaneous mitral valvuloplasties, 37 atrial septal defect closures and 15 patent foramen ovale closures were reported. The PCI rate per million population in Portugal was lower than the mean European rate (848 vs. 1194).

Interventional cardiology in Portugal and other European countries has been expanding since 1992. We would emphasize the high rate of reporting by laboratories, which enables the Registry to compile data that are highly representative of activity in Portugal since 1992.